Outrunner Odyssey Book Two: More Stories from the Voyage of the Oasis Valimirum

R. H. Thompson Jr.

iUniverse LLC

Bloomington

OUTRUNNER ODYSSEY BOOK TWO

More Stories from the Voyage of the Oasis ValiMirum

Copyright © 2013 by Robert H. Thompson Jr.

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This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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ISBN: 978-1-4759-8451-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4759-8452-1 (ebk)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013906534

iUniverse rev. date: 07/29/2013

Contents

Story 1 On Another June Day

Story 2 Something of Grave Concern

Story 3 Encounters

Story 4 The Thragosian Deception

Story 5 Of Strange and Remarkable Things

Also by R. H. Thompson Jr.

Outrunner Odyssey

Book One

Stories from the Voyage of the Oasis ValiMirum

R. H. Thompson Jr.

To hope and the future.

To a better tomorrow, on this world and beyond.

Acknowledgments

Again, with deepest appreciation, to Susan and Cherryl,

for their invaluable literary advice;

for their inspiration, understanding, and caring.

Story 1

On Another June Day

H unger… compelling, undeniable hunger… Across the universe, it endures as a primal driving force of nature, an essential element of survival for countless living things. Ever looming and persistent, it strives to make its presence known… and it was here… and it was now.

Slowly, in silence, the smallish thing crept forward, with but a single thought in mind. Here and there, a moment’s hesitation, but then forward again, drawing nearer, ever closer, one step at a time.

And, it was not alone, for others followed close behind. Nothing would stop them, nothing would deter them from their goal, for the hunger deep within was growing and would not go away. They needed sustenance and would not wait for another time or another place. It would be now.

In the stillness, just ahead, the large one lay silently in the shadows. Its reclining form and slow shallow breathing spoke clearly of an inner calm, of a creature at ease with itself, of a creature sensing no danger.

But, with each step placed carefully, one before the next, the small things moved closer still. Soon, they would all gain that which they needed most—mother’s milk. Once again, the four kittens slowly settled in and the nourishment began, and once again, hunger embarked on its quiet retreat into the shadowy recesses of their minds.

One of the kittens was mostly gray, one was mostly black, one was gray and white, and the fourth a richly patterned calico. They were only two weeks old and had yet to be named.

Ryka lay there quietly, enveloped in an aura of maternal contentment, as her little ones availed themselves of the bounty. She was a Qubyx, a feline from the planet Zantauva and was now a companion animal aboard the Outrunner vessel known as the Oasis ValiMirum. She and her kind were rather similar in appearance, and nature, to the felis domestica or domestic house cats of Earth, and these distant galactic cousins were proving to coexist well aboard the space craft.

It should be noted, however, that there was one major difference between these two varieties of felines, as the Qubyx possessed a special and mostly defensive ability that belonged to them and them alone. It was a neuro-broadcast capability that allowed these unusual animals to disrupt the communications between the delicate balancing sensors of the inner ear and the brain of certain other life forms by the use of, actually by the projection of, a single powerful thought wave. In the process, other creatures, some many times their size, would momentarily lose their balance and be toppled, brought to the ground, allowing the Qubyx enough time to make a fast escape from danger.

Occasionally, Qubyx had even been known to inadvertently unleash this effect by mistake. Fortunately, however, Outrunner crew members had come to understand what might cause this to occur and also how to easily avoid it. Simply put, gain the trust of the Qubyx and, above all, don’t surprise them. The four kittens were, of course, still too young to have developed this incredible ability. It was safe to touch one or pick it up, as long as mom approved.

The bold striping of Ryka’s black and tan fur moved softly to the rhythm of her restful breathing. Being the proud mother of four healthy Qubyx kittens had changed her role in life and brought out a more gentle side to this normally assertive creature. One who could engage an opponent, or a toy, or even a dust mote for that matter, with almost complete abandon, now added to her experiences the calming serenity, the reflective satisfaction of caring for her young.

Sister Asra sat nearby, guarding the new family, although her role was more honorary than functional. With grace and dignity and absolute quiet, she maintained her vigil. Multiple shades of brown and tan fur swirled gracefully across her form as soft mellow eyes surveyed the scene. She seemed almost pleased that Ryka had now discovered a more serene side to life, one that she, instinctively, had always known.

Not too far away, Taya stood in a doorway and watched the Qubyx before her. In her hand she held a cup of morning coffee. The brew was hot and strong and without cream or sugar; just the way she liked it. Her full name was Taya G. Xallnyk. Her function: Captain of the Outrunner vessel Oasis ValiMirum. Her species: Mirsien.

A retinal imprint informed her that she still had a little more time before she was due to be on the bridge and, at least so far, the morning had remained quiet. There had been no scheduling changes and no emergencies, in fact, no interruptions at all. She wondered just how long this might last.

As Taya stepped forward and into the room, her motion caused the sweeping loose curls of her hair to brush lightly across the top of her shoulders. The hair itself was black, with just a touch of gray, and nicely complimented her large, pale, silvery eyes. Her youthful appearance easily belied the number of years that one would know as her age.

On this day she wore a mauve colored tunic with matching slacks, the outfit’s only adornments being a line of four small gold rings on either side of the tunic’s collar indicating her rank as Captain and an Outrunner Foundation insignia positioned on the tunic slightly below her left collar bone.

The insignia itself was a small, slightly oval shaped disk of onyx, upon which had been deposited a thin translucent pseudo-crystalline layer of programmed material that stored both thermal and inertial energies and released them as a soft white glow of special design. The net result: a miniature representation of the Milky Way galaxy with its star studded spiral arms slowly rotating with time, against the blackness of space.

Taya had many important duties associated with her rank and was currently performing one of them. As captain, she was responsible for all of the life forms aboard this ship and the six before her were her own special charge. The two adult Qubyx had been a gift from two appreciative officials on the planet Zantauva. Ryka’s preexisting pregnancy and the resulting four little ones had been a complete surprise.

With a few more minutes to spare, Taya then sat down in a nearby anti-grav chair and allowed her thoughts to drift away with the unstructured mood of the moment. For some unknown reason, she began to think back to her childhood.

‘I remember when I was a young girl and our family stayed one summer at a small Eco-complex in the desert regions of the Northern Americas,’ she mused. ‘For my brother and me it was a vacation, but for our parents it meant development work on high efficiency energy generators… . I think it involved some of the more advanced polymorphic solar/wind hybrids… . But what makes me think of these things now? . . . Is it because my calendar imprint tells me that this is the first day of summer back on Earth? . . . Perhaps… I don’t know.

‘But, what I do know is that time marches on and I’m due on the bridge soon. So, I need to put memory lane aside, at least for awhile.’

Taya’s had been elected to her current command position and would hold it for some time to come. Heavy were the demands placed upon her, but equal the rewards and this was where she wanted to be. The Oasis ValiMirum was her home. It had become her life.

Much had changed throughout the years, with humans, as usual, being the main driver. For once, however, the news was mostly good. The vast majority of them had rapidly evolved into a species of more caring, more responsible beings through the use of advanced genetic technologies. Yet, as the humans before them, this new species remained diverse in appearance and habit, and, when the need arose, could act as one. They also retained the most beneficial qualities of humanity, a heritage they would always honor.

As steadily improving, wise and discerningly altruistic beings, they referred to themselves as the extraordinary wise ones or, by a created Latin derivative, the Mirum Sapiens. Condensed further to but a single word, they became known, simply, as the Mirsiens.

Above all, they were rightfully content in the knowledge of what they had become. These descendent humans had gained the understanding and the power to change things for the better and the resolve to make it happen. In doing so, they had saved their world and themselves along with it.

It is important to note, however, that a much smaller group of humans had chosen to use the advanced technologies to evolve in a different direction, one that would benefit themselves and themselves alone, no matter what the cost to the environment, or to life in general. Their greed was unbridled. Their selfish and uncaring ways paid testimony to, and added to, the long list of historic social failures of their ancestral line. Since they were behaviorally opposite to the Mirsiens, these beings had also acquired a name, a title that best described their strongest characteristics. To this end, they had become known as the Avarumak. The word itself is a derivative of, and is comprised mostly of, the Latin word avarum meaning greedy or selfish. Its use was most appropriate.

Now, of course, it is understood that there is a sizable difference between selfish and self and that one’s self is a necessary focus for the survival of any living entity, but adequate intellect and resources need to be devoted to the larger scope of things, such as sustaining a viable planetary environment, for that, in turn, is critical to the survival of the individual self as well as its descendents. The logic is simple; the interrelationship undeniable. But the Avarumak invariably would fail to, or more likely, choose not to recognize this. Fortunately, most of them had gone their own way, throughout the solar system. Unfortunately, over time, they did occasionally make their presence known as moments of trial or danger or worse.

In general, however, the Mirsiens had mostly prevailed against the uncaring Avarumak. Most importantly, as truly successful life forms, the Mirsiens had created a true global environmental sustainability for planet Earth.

Then, with their home world renewed, small groups of Mirsiens began to venture out beyond their solar system and into the stars.

On a more current and personal level, the time had also come for Captain Xallnyk to venture out from her quarters and go to work.

Well, little ones, I have to leave you now, said Taya, basically talking to herself. I hope you have a good day and I’ve left the viewing ports on max, in case you’d like to look out at the stars.

The two adult Qubyx stared at Taya with a somewhat quizzical ‘I wonder what she means by that?’ look on their faces. They didn’t understand what she was saying but they liked the reassuring sound of her voice.

Yes… well… see you later, added the Captain, as she left her area. Her schedule was often busy but she had decided to keep the Qubyx anyway, as her very own companion animals. She was able to do so by employing a staff of volunteers, true volunteers, that helped care for them, from time to time, whenever her command duties consumed too much of her time. Today would be one of those days.

In took only a few minutes of brisk walking for Taya to arrive at the bridge located in a more forward area of the ship known as Sector Alpha. The vessel’s Convayen system would have delivered her there faster, but she wanted some exercise. There were any number of ways to maintain one’s physical conditioning aboard the ship, but walking was her favorite.

On this day, as most any other, the command area was staffed with a dozen or so crew members, comprised mostly of Mirsiens from Earth along with a few of the ship’s permanent guest travelers such as the Okavoro and the Zynqua.

Although a team of this nature usually directed the activities of the vessel, these functions could be controlled by one unique Mirsien entity, the vessel’s executive officer. Every crew member aboard the ship was important, but this one was also rather amazing.

Good morning, Omniym. How are you today? Taya stated, upon entering the area.

We are excellent, Captain, replied her Exec, referring, as it sometimes would, to both itself and the ship. They were, for all practical purposes, one and the same. As the permanent executive officer of the vessel, this entity could be addressed as such, or as Exec or ExO or Omniym, its chosen name. Other than its rank, it was basically the ship’s entity, the very essence of the ship itself.

At this point in our story it would be good to point out that there were basically two types of Mirsiens.

First there were the B or bioderivative kind, such as Taya, that most closely resembled their original human ancestors. Then there were the S or synthederivative kind that could be either of a synthetic material nature or of a holographic nature but with applied force capabilities. Omniym was of the holographic variety.

On this day the entity was wearing a long flint grey hooded robe that extended all the way to the floor. The hood had been cast back and the entity’s surface layer, or skin, looked like polished chrome. As usual, only its head and neck and hands were visible. Its rank was denoted by a row of three small gold rings on both sides of the robe’s neck line.

It should also be noted that two gold rings were used to identify Senior Lieutenants and one for all other Lieutenants. Almost everyone wore the galactic insignia.

Taya did not take special notice that the ship’s entity had assumed a general human appearance, merely because that is what it did on most days. Since it was a visible force projection, it could take the shape and appearance of just about anything, but it almost always chose a human resemblance simply because this represented its beginning, its heritage if you will.

However, the captain did take note of the appearance of Omniym’s eyes which changed from one occasion to the next. Currently, they were the color of metallic wisteria blue. Most notable, indeed.

It looks like you’re already hard at work, Taya continued.

Yes, Captain, came Omniym’s reply, its mirror like face softly reflecting images from the surrounding bridge. I’ve been making preparations for our final approach to the binary star system.

Binary stars were quite common in the galaxy but Taya found this pair to be somewhat unusual in that their combined energy outputs varied significantly more than expected. As often happens in scientific circles, curiosity, or shall we say intrigue, leads to investigation and thus the presence of the Outrunner vessel in the neighborhood.

Basically, two yellow white stars, both somewhat smaller than Earth’s sun, were revolving around each other in fast, rather tight orbits, taking only four days to complete a full cycle. The binaries also had a full complement of planets orbiting about their combined orbits, with advanced life forms living mostly on one planet in the system’s habitable zone.

Omniym, said Taya, If either star were to suddenly contract its orbit, there would most likely be a collision or a semi-meld between the two of them. This could dramatically alter their atomic fusion dynamics and the results could be catastrophic for any living thing in this system. What’s the likelihood of that happening?

The rapid, close proximity orbits may look rather precarious, Captain, but, for at least the next fifty million years or so, the probability of that happening is very remote.

Alright, replied Taya, but let me know when you know for sure, she added, with a slight but noticeable smile.

Seriously, however, she continued, If something like that did occur, how far away should we be to have enough time for emergency hyperspace engagement?

For that scenario, I would suggest that we stay at least two hundred million kilometers away from the suns. We could then use remote sensors for closer work.

Well, just to be on the safe side, let’s do that, Taya responded.

According to a given situation, the captain could be bold or cautious or somewhere in between. Today, she would err on the side of caution.

The Oasis ValiMirum was one of a fleet of galactic crafts created by an organization known as the Outrunner Foundation. Each ship travelled outward from the Earth into a different constellation, each on a mission of learning and adventure, and each quite on its own. The Oasis ValiMirum was a vessel of incredible power, but this would not matter if it found itself too close to a violent stellar event. One careless step could easily result in the total destruction of their vessel, making oblivion their new address.

Although the vessel was on its own, it and those aboard did not survive by maintaining the status quo. First, there was a hyperspace link to the Outrunner Foundation and it advancing technologies. Then, there was the ship’s own onboard research. And Omniym, in turn, utilized all new knowledge to increase their chances of survival. As this special entity learned, it also evolved and with it, so did the Oasis ValiMirum, becoming more advanced and more powerful and improving everyone’s chances of having a tomorrow.

Those aboard the vessel took a proprietary interest in its wellbeing for reasons already stated. The Oasis ValiMirum was their home, their only home, in the midst of a vast and unpredictable cosmic arena. Beyond that, they admired the ship as a true wonder of form and function; a masterpiece of technical art; a world in itself, created to carry them on their odyssey.

Shaped like a partially flattened silvery cone, the ship was sleek and long and fairly wide with the words Oasis ValiMirum unpretentiously engraved upon both sides of its hull. Massive and powerful and esthetically pleasing in design, it spoke silently of the wonders hidden within, as it now travelled deep into the constellation of Orion.

After discussing their exploration plan in some detail, the captain moved on to a different and, by comparison, rather mundane subject. She remembered that this day felt somehow notable to her in terms of its calendar date and by thinking back to her childhood, was she equating the start of summer with fun and vacations, or did it mean something else? She wondered if her Exec could shed some light on the situation.

Omniym, do you find today’s Earth calendar date to be significant to you in any way?

Her ExO thought for a moment before responding, its wisteria blue eyes wavering slightly in brightness.

Not especially, Taya. By the Earth calendar it would be June 21st. It’s not any crew member’s birth date anniversary, nor is it our date of launch, nor anything else like that. We have any number of things scheduled for today, but nothing of special significance. However, the Nulvorian Armistice, that we helped arrange, went into effect two years ago, but that occurred on the 20th of June… . No. Sorry. Nothing else comes to mind at the moment.

Well, it’s really not important but, back on Earth, today would mark the summer solstice, the beginning of summer, at least in the Northern hemisphere, responded Taya.

Ah yes, of course. Although that date varies from year to year, it would be today in this Earth year. Does it have some special meaning for you? replied Omniym.

Actually, I don’t know. It may or may not. It just seemed that, somehow, it might. I guess the first day of summer merely sounded like a pleasant thing, noted Taya. If the date is somehow special, it’ll probably come to me later… . Anyway; it doesn’t seem much like summer at all, if you look out through the bridge portal.

On this day, much of the forward translucent shielding of the bridge had been uncovered allowing for a panoramic view of outside that extended from floor to ceiling and nearly half way around the bridge area. Outside, a few neighboring stars shone brightly as a plethora of faint ones populated the distant darkness. The scene was beautiful and awesome and but only coldly inviting.

You could always pay a visit to our Atrium suggested Omniym, It looks like summer there most of the time.

"Good idea, my friend, but perhaps later. In a few minutes I’m scheduled to sit in on a Theoretics discussion group involving some new developments in advanced hyper-dimensional propulsion physics. Since it’s my original area of expertise, and one that I’ll be returning to someday, I need to stay current on their latest finding. I know I can get the same info via neural implant, but I’d like to